


steps after that

by LexiWritesThings



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Christmas Party, Christmas in Madison, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Soft Hockey Boys, discussions of the future, hiding from relatives, zimbits - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2021-01-26 17:01:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21377482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LexiWritesThings/pseuds/LexiWritesThings
Summary: There had never been any question about Jack’s future after graduation. The NHL had as good as battered down the Haus front door starting Jack’s sophomore year at Samwell. It was a natural progression, NCAA captain to major league player, and with Jack’s last name and legacy, it was a given that he would be playing for an NHL team of his choice only scant months after getting his diploma.But Bitty was not Jack.{Christmas in Madison III from Jack's perspective}
Relationships: Eric "Bitty" Bittle/Jack Zimmermann
Comments: 11
Kudos: 188





	steps after that

**Author's Note:**

> Christmas in Madison III SENT me so I had to do a Jack POV fic. Shoutout to ngozi for giving us such fuckin soft hockey bfs

Somewhere between yet another Bittle cousin (Jim? JD?) trying to strike up a conversation about life in the NHL and Suzanne checking in on him for the fourth time in an hour (_“I know that it can be a bit much, sweetheart, with the whole clan here!”_), Jack noticed Bitty was nowhere to be seen. 

Looking around the entire living room—which was incredibly easy, considering he was at least 6 inches taller than anyone else in attendance—he couldn’t see Eric anywhere. With a muttered apology to the small gaggle of Suzanne’s nieces that had surrounded him, Jack ducked into the dining room. A cursory glance told him Bitty wasn’t there either. He quickly ruled out the backyard; it would be a cold day in hell (_hah_) when Eric Bittle willingly braced the balmy 50 degree weather of December in Georgia.

With only one logical place left to look, Jack started toward the staircase. Never quite the master of subtlety, he was honestly shocked that no one tried to stop him and drag him into another conversation. He had a sinking suspicion that was somehow the work of Suzanne, who had seemingly taken Bitty’s offhand comments about Jack’s social anxiety to heart. Jack smiled at the thought, thinking for the thousandth time in the last two days about how well his mother would get along with Bitty’s. 

Bitty’s bedroom door was cracked open. As Jack approached, he could see Bitty sitting against the headboard, knees pulled to his chest as he tapped away at his phone. Jack felt a deep swooping sensation in his stomach at the sight of his boyfriend focused intently on whatever he was typing, tongue poking out the side of his mouth. The butterflies that seemed to have taken permanent residence in Jack’s chest used to scare the hell out of him. Now, nearing two years into their relationship, Jack cherished the way his body reacted to seeing Bitty, loving how it always felt like he was falling in love with the younger man. He secretly hoped there was never a landing. 

“Knock knock,” Jack finally said as he knocked softly on the doorframe, imagining that being caught just staring at Eric from the hall might come off as a bit creepy. Bitty glanced up, clearly surprised to see Jack upstairs. In an instant, a teasing smirk curled its way around his lips, and Jack felt his heart stutter pleasantly. 

“Oh, you really are a troublemaker,” Bitty replied, and Jack couldn’t help his goofy smile. 

“I’m sneaky,” he retorted, closing the door softly and crossing the room to Bitty’s bed. Eric inched to the side as he laid down. Jack wrapped his arm around Bitty’s back without thinking about it, grazing the fingers on Bitty’s hand with his own as he curled his other arm behind his head. Jack felt his skin tingle pleasantly at every point of contact, feeling the tension he hadn’t really noticed downstairs melt away under the warmth of his boyfriend. 

“Are we involved yet?” He couldn’t help but tease, still not over the way the phrase threw Bitty into dramatics. Chirping was, of course, a mandatory part of their relationship. Bitty’s answering hum surprised him. 

“Hmm, this is pretty involved.”

A pleasant silence curled around the two. Jack felt their breathing sync, their hearts slowing to nearly the same beat. These moments, these were the ones that Jack, not all that long ago, thought he didn’t deserve. The menacing venom of his anxiety used to remind him how unlovable he was, how much he had fucked up and how there was no getting normalcy back. But with every moment of domesticity he shared with Bitty, that voice seemed to get quieter and quieter. He had been extremely excited to share that with his therapist. 

“... Jack.” 

The vibration of Bitty’s voice broke Jack from his thoughts. From his spot pressed into Jack’s chest, Bitty was slightly muffled, but continued talking all the same.

“I have no idea what I’m gonna do after Samwell.” 

This declaration wasn’t much of a surprise to Jack. Bitty had offhandedly commented about the uncertainty of his future numerous times over the last few months, and there was no doubt in his mind that every third question Bitty was fielding from family that evening had been regarding life after graduation. Still, it took Jack a moment to respond. 

There had never been any question about Jack’s future after graduation. The NHL had as good as battered down the Haus front door starting Jack’s sophomore year at Samwell. It was a natural progression, NCAA captain to major league player, and with Jack’s last name and legacy, it was a given that he would be playing for an NHL team of his choice only scant months after getting his diploma. 

But Bitty was not Jack. 

(And Bitty was definitely not Kent.)

(Which Jack was extremely happy about.)

“Hm. Well, apply to jobs…” Jack mentally cursed himself out at that complete cop-out of an answer. Luckily, his brain caught up to his mouth rather quickly. 

“Or, I mean, even if you don’t want to be a YouTube personality, keep up with the vlog. People love you, and if you want to go the pro-vlogger route, I think you could.” 

Bitty’s eyes widened a fraction—a nearly indiscernible action to most—at Jack’s words. But Jack was only speaking honestly. He might not be an expert, but from where he stood, Bitty had a good chance of making it with his channel. It wasn’t the NHL, but it was so _Bitty_ that it made sense in Jack’s mind. 

Another thought struck Jack, so he kept talking. 

“And after this year, we can finally live together.”

A pause. 

“And, you know, whatever steps come after that.” 

Jack hadn’t really meant to say that part out loud. Bitty clearly hadn’t expected him to either, from the way the blond pulled himself up on his hands to hover over Jack’s face from above.

“I want steps after that,” he said earnestly, and Jack felt another tremendous swoop in his stomach.

“Yeah! Me too!” 

He wouldn’t admit it to Bitty, but he had been thinking about… the steps that came after moving in with someone a lot over the last 48 hours. Between Suzanne’s instance he stay in the guest room and the number of Bitty’s relatives not-so-subtly dropping mentions of family wedding plans, it was impossible not to. 

For a time, especially when his relationship with Bitty was young and fragile, Jack had been absolutely terrified by the idea of marriage. At the time, the mere thought of even telling his parents about Bitty was terrified. With something so permanent, so real, there was little chance of him staying in the closet. And the thought of being the first out hockey player ever was perhaps the most terrifying thing of all. 

But things changed. 

(_“Nah. Had to kiss ‘em.”_)

“I mean, far away steps.” 

Bitty’s bashful tone brings him back to the present, and the moment of awkwardness is palpable. Thinking about marriage was one thing, but vaguely bringing it up during moments of frank discussion about the future was something else entirely. Jack felt heat rise in his cheeks as he gazed at the ceiling, resolutely not looking at the blond practically in his lap.

“Right, haha,” was his eloquent response. Luckily for the both of them, Bitty’s habit of nervous chatter kicked in right on time.

“Though! We can have a long engagement, you know my parents were engaged at my age?”

“Yeah, you told me.” And hadn’t that been an awkwardly flustered moment?

“Ugh. I gotta graduate first,” Bitty groaned as he lowered himself back down, pressing his back to Jack’s chest. Jack jumped on the first chirp his brain provided him with to ensure all talk of engagement and the distant future was over for the time being. 

“How’s that thesis, by the way?” 

Jack had to hold back a bark of laughter as Bitty sprang forward, as if burned by Jack’s words. 

“Oh, we have to get you up so _early_ in the morning—”

Gazing at the length of Bitty’s back as he stretched in a clearly faked yawn, Jack felt a playful urge hit him. After a brief moment of quick calculation, Jack launched forward, scooping Bitty into his arms and attacking his exposed sides with devious fingers. The first bubble of Bitty’s sweet laughter nearly caused Jack’s heart to burst from his chest. 

“Oh my—you want to have the whole party know we’re in here—” Bitty choked out around giggles, squirming in Jack’s grip but decidedly not trying to twist away. Jack smirked. 

“If you don’t finish that essay, you can’t graduate—_Mr. Bittle,_” he teased as he continued to gently dig his fingers into Bitty’s stomach, not missing an opportunity to use Bitty’s normal form of endearment for once. 

If anything, that made Bitty flush harder, his laughter coming a little harder as he tried to retort. 

“Mr. Bittle is my father’s name—!” 

Bitty yelped as Jack moved his attack around the younger’s back to the spots on Bitty’s rib cage that Jack knew from ample experience were absolutely the most sensitive.

“Shh,” Jack said, knowing that would only drive Bitty into further hysterics.

“Don’t shh me when you’re causing all the trouble!” Bitty somehow got out around his increasingly carefree laughter. 

“Haha,” Jack responded sarcastically, still reeling from watching Bitty squirm in his hold, from hearing Bitty laugh with such abandon. The grin that spread over his face only grew as he felt the blond, whether he meant to or not, sink further into Jack’s hold. 

Logically, Jack knew how the rest of the night would go. He and Bitty would return downstairs—a few minutes apart because Eric was perhaps the most ridiculous person on the planet. They would keep mingling with Bitty’s family, smiling and chatting and talking aimlessly about whatever it was they would talk about. Jack would keep his hands to himself, despite how difficult of a task that was, but would revel in the warmth radiating from his boyfriend at his side. He would smile and nod at socially acceptable moments, but in his mind, he would be turning the phrase “Mr. Bittle” over and over, growing giddy and excited the more he imagined it on his driver’s license, on his credit cards, perhaps even on a Falconer’s jersey—

But that would come later. 

For now, Jack continued tickling his boyfriend—who didn’t seem to have much of a problem being on the receiving end, he might add—and smiling harder than he had once thought he had any right to. For now, Jack would live in the moment and enjoy the pleasant somersaults his stomach had started doing the moment he had first thought about kissing Eric Bittle. Over the peels of Bitty’s laughter, Jack let himself speak. 

“This here. This is getting involved.” 

**Author's Note:**

> I’m making the executive decision that Jack says that final line, because Jack Laurent Zimmermann is a fucking sap and loves his tiny boyfriend with his entire goddamn existance, try to change my mind @ngozi thanks for ruining my life with these two <3
> 
> (Also plz ignore my not so subtle nods toward future adorable tickle fics when will I finally accept that I want to write those ahhh)


End file.
